Loading
Print This Issue
Subscribe:
E-Almanac

Holiday Shopping Around Campus

PDF
December 7, 2010, Volume 57, No. 14

Books and News

The Penn Bookstore is the place for Penn- and Philly-centric gifts for everyone on your shopping list. With displays such as Best of Penn, Faculty Authors, Under $20, and Local Interest, the Bookstore makes it easy to find the perfect gift.

The Bookstore offers many books written by Penn community members. Impress your favorite urban studies aficionado with The University and Urban Revival ($37.50), written by Penn’s president emerita Judith Rodin. For Philadelphia enthusiasts, The Philadelphia Italian Market Cookbook ($24.95) lets you explore the culinary wonders of the market with the helpful expertise of Celeste A. Morello. The White Dog Café Cookbook ($22.95) brings the Sansom Street restaurant’s favorites home.

For your special young ones, the Bookstore helps you navigate with helpful displays such as games & puzzles, toys & games, and children’s apparel. Teach your child about global warming with a global warming experiment kit ($34.95) or play Battleship ($24.95). Give a Penn teddy bear ($19.98) or keep their heads warm with a Penn cap ($14.98). Of course, the Bookstore abounds with holiday books, and they offer a bargain-priced section with gems such as The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore ($7.98).

The Penn Bookstore realizes that knowledge isn’t free, so take advantage of their annual holiday sale (December 9-10), 20% off merchandise storewide and many best-sellers are 30% off.

Gifts

In addition to books, the Penn Bookstore offers holiday boxed cards and wraps at 30% off; Barnes and Noble rewards members take an extra 10% off. They have sustainable items, including products from the K.I.L.U.S. foundation, a fair trade women’s cooperative that uses recycled materials in their products, including a purse ($14.95), a woven bowl ($14.95), and a bottle cap pencil holder ($19.95). They also sell Ecosystem notebooks ($6.95-$16.95), made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

For those with a sweet tooth, Artisserie Bakery, formerly Naked Chocolate, offers holiday treats as sweet as sugar plums. Now, all chocolate assortments are half-price: 9-piece set ($6.95), a 16-piece set ($13.95), and for those die-hard chocolate lovers, a 25-piece set ($20.95). Can’t get enough chocolate? A hot chocolate mix kit ($10.45) to make at home. Coffee lovers will love the cocoa dusted espresso beans ($9.50). Buy a bag of coffee ($12), receive a free cup of coffee.

Walk into Roses Florist and forget it is winter outside. With gorgeous red chrysanthemums ($1.75/each), carnations ($1.50/each), and gypsophila ($2.99), they will help you create your own customized arrangement, or you can purchase one ($29.99-$49.99). Or give peace a chance with a Christmas peace lily plant ($39.99), or an arrangement of evergreen branches ($49.99). You can also find a gift for the kids including Rudolph and Frosty stuffed animals ($14).

Recreation

Visit Penn Athletics’ online store to find a wide selection of merchandise for your perusal. The official spot for Penn athletics carries fantastic items such as hats, hooded sweatshirts, t-shirts, DVDs, and books. Everything ranges in price from $15 to $55, making great gifts affordable on any budget. They also feature framed prints of your favorite sports teams and players, ranging from $12.99 for a 5x7 to $99.99 for a 20x30. Shop online at www.pennathletics.com.

Do you know someone who loves to be a part of history? How about someone who has a deep love for college basketball? If the answer is “yes” to either of these questions, an item from the Palestra Collection may be the perfect gift this holiday season. This collection features items made from the original hardwood flooring of the legendary building, often dubbed “the birthplace of college basketball.” Items include pens, a bottle opener, sterling silver cufflinks and handcrafted frames, all bearing Penn’s insignia and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. With prices ranging from $85 to $170, do not miss out on this golden opportunity. To view and purchase items, visit the Penn Bookstore or go online at www.upenn.edu/palestrawoodcraft.

Philadelphia Runner also has a great selection of gifts for your favorite athletes. They carry a large selection of running apparel, ranging from $18 to $200, as well as many fun accessories, such as re-useable water bottles for $20 to $30, Oakley Jawbone glasses for $205 to $250, and the Garmin 405, the top choice of watch for runners, ranging from $299 to $379. They also carries several great stocking stuffers such as running socks, gloves, and safety lights at affordable prices. For more information, visit their website at www.philadelphiarunner.com.

Electronics

The Computer Connection has a wide selection of electronic and even green gifts for everyone on your holiday list. Capture your holiday memories with their selection of still cameras or a Flip Video Slide HD Digital Camcorder ($229.99), then save some trees by displaying them in a Motorola Dual Screen digital photo frame ($49.99). Invest in a Belkin Energy Saver ($35.99), a device that completely cuts the power to your devices when they aren’t in use, or cool down your laptop with the Macally Bamboo Cooling Stand ($39.99), made from eco-friendly organic bamboo.

A GreenSmart Bag can protect your laptop while protecting the environment. Made from recycled plastic bottles, these fashionable bags start at $39.99. Now through December 31, bring in 10 plastic bottles and receive $10 off any GreenSmart bag purchase. If you don’t already have a laptop, consider the great deals at the Computer Connection on Lenovo, Apple and Dell machines, priced especially for the Penn community. They also have this year’s hottest holiday gift, the Apple iPad (starting at $499), and a host of accessories for it, such as the Marware EcoVue Case in eco-leather ($39.99). 

Stock up on stocking stuffers, like the new iPod Nano ($144-$174), iPhone accessories or wireless earbuds ($49.99). They also have great gaming gifts, like the Razer Lycosa keyboard ($69.99) and PC games such as World of Warcraft: Cataclysm ($39.99). 

Look for the 2010 Holiday Wishbook in your intramural mailbox and shop in store or online at www.upenn.edu/computerstore.

International

tee

If you’re looking for a truly unique and eclectic gift, look no further than the Penn Museum. The Museum Shop carries items from all over the world that can impress anyone on your list. You can pick up a catalogue in anticipation for the coming Secrets of the Silk Road exhibit for about $40. You can deck out the tree with ornaments from around the globe, such as olive wood decorations from Bethlehem, Chinese ornaments (starting at $7.99), or Egyptian glass ornaments (starting at $5.99). You can dazzle a jewelry lover with elegant Roman glass, which comes in two types of earrings ($69.99-$79.99) and 3 types of necklaces ($119.99-$349.99). There is also a wide selection of Fair Trade products, including a one-of-a-kind stocking stuffer: an adorable Three Legged Pig from Chile, which promises good luck to its recipient ($5.99).

You can also visit the Pyramid Shop, which features many fun, educational gifts for the youngsters in your life, from books and instruments to games and stuffed animals. For a kid who always begs to see the mummies, you could try the Mummy in Sarcophagus for about $20. Or, in keeping with the Silk Road theme, there is the Terra Cotta Soldier Dig Kit, which helps teach about China’s first emperor and his famous tomb ($29.99), or the Chinese Magnetic Poetry Kit, which includes magnets with simplified Chinese characters and their English meanings ($19.99). The proceeds from both stores go to support the Penn Museum.

Penn Insignia

Whether you’re shopping for an alumnus or a hopeful student, any season is right for flaunting Penn pride. The selection extends beyond the traditional red and blue, allowing you to find the perfect item for any individual. With winter still largely ahead of us, it is hard to withstand the appeal of a cozy Penn sweatshirt. Through December 19, all hoodies in the Penn Bookstore are on sale at 25% off. There is also a wide range of Penn t-shirts available at the Bookstore for under $25. If you want apparel and other gifts from one of Penn’s 12 schools, you can find it at www.PennMerchandise.com. There are polos (around $33), t-shirts (around $13), sweatshirts (around $25), hats (around $15) and many other offerings to help you show school pride.

If you are interested specifically in products that hail from the business school, check out the Wharton Store in Jon M. Huntsman Hall. There you will find everything from polo shirts to mugs to stuffed bears, all proudly bearing the Wharton name.

Music

For a great selection of music in a variety of genres, visit the Penn Bookstore and browse through the music section. They have CDs from many currently popular singers as well as those from the past. Among these are a few CDs by some of Penn’s student groups. For example, the Glee Club’s holiday album, A Song By The Fire, features many holiday classics ($15). The Penn Band also has their most recent two-disk set, The Band Before Time, ($23). For more options from these two groups, visit them online at www.pennband.net and www.penngleeclub.com.

The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts offers gift certificates in any denomination that can be redeemed for tickets to almost any performance. The certificates do not depreciate in value over time like many other gift cards and certificates, allowing them to be saved and used at the right time and for that special performance for the recipient. Some upcoming 2011 performances include the Serafin String Quartet, Pilobolus Dance Theater, and Thirza Defoe. To purchase tickets or gift certificates, visit www.annenbergcenter.org or call (215) 898-3900.

discord

Just released by Dischord A Cappella, Baltimore Ave is an exciting compilation of songs from the contemporary pop/rock genre. All songs are original arrangements by the members of this Penn student group, and their beautiful harmonies and pure, unadorned sound is showcased throughout the album. Baltimore Ave features songs originally performed by artists such as Carrie Underwood, Beyonce, David Cook and Adele. This album is sure to be a wonderful treat for the holidays. 

The CD ($15) can be purchased online through Google Checkout by going to www.upenndischord.com or by mail: Dischord A Cappella, C/o Shina Aladé, 3937 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19104; checks should be made out to Dischord A Cappella.

Holiday Cards: Order online from Penn Publication Services

Choose from four design options that can be personalized with your school/center/department’s specific holiday message. Visit the Penn Publication Services website, www.upenn.edu/publicationservices and click on the Perfect Print Solution button to view and order your Penn Holiday Cards; call (215) 898-4838 or contact your Publication Services account manager.

Free Animated eCards for the Holidays

Send your Red and Blue holiday greetings the Green way. Visit www.upenn.edu/ecard to see the snow fall on College Green, watch Frosty dance, or shake a snowglobe! You can also select from winter scenes or season’s greetings, courtesy of Penn’s Division of Business Services.

—Business Services

ecard

 

Almanac - December 7, 2010, Volume 57, No. 14